3 more terrorists surrender in Maguindanao del Norte

COTABATO CITY, Philippines — Three more local terrorists, well-versed in fabrication of improvised explosive devices, surrendered to the military on Tuesday, July 1.

The three men, who are members of both the Dawlah Islamiya and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, agreed to renounce their membership with both the Dawlah Islamiya and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters through the joint intercession of the officials of the Marine Battalion Landing Team-2 of the 1st Marine Brigade and local executives in Barira town in Maguindanao del Norte.

The now apparently weakened Dawlah Islamiya and BIFF are both tagged in bombings in Central Mindanao since 2014 of buses and commercial establishments after owners had refused to pay “protection money” on a periodic basis. The two groups also have a reputation for fomenting hatred for non-Muslims, which Islamic preachers detest as contrary to their religion’s extensive teachings on interfaith solidarity.

Brig. Gen. Romulo Quemado, commander of the 1st Marine Brigade, and Army Major Gen. Donald Gumiran of the 6th Infantry Division, who has operational control over Marine units in Maguindanao del Norte, separately told reporters on Thursday, July 3, that they are thankful to local leaders for helping the MBLT-2 workout the surrender of the three terrorists.

They first turned over to Lt. Col. John Dela Cruz, commanding officer of the MBLT-2, two 60 millimeter mortars, a B-40 rocket launcher and explosives before they renounced their membership with the Dawlah Islamiya and the BIFF during a simple rite in Barangay Nituan in Parang, Maguindanao del Norte in the Bangsamoro region.

More than 700 Dawlah Islamiya and BIFF members had surrendered to units of the 6th ID, the 1st Marine Brigade and the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region since 2022, all reintroduced to mainstream society with the help of different agencies under the Bangsamoro regional government and in Administrative Region 12.